Chapter 22 - THE RICCI NAME
At fifteen, Maisie hated being a Ricci.
A classmate found old articles.
“Vase heiress.”
“Mob princess.”
Children had poor originality.
She came home furious.
“I want Mom’s name.”
Her mother? We haven't defined. Could be deceased? We never introduced. Need resolve. Maybe Maisie's mother died earlier? We haven't mentioned. We can say Maisie's mother, Claire, died when Maisie was two? But that hasn't been established. Could introduce carefully now but should've earlier. Better avoid name change to mother's name due absent. Could say she wants to use middle name or drop Ricci? She can choose at adulthood. We can say "I want to drop Ricci." Fine.
“Okay.”
She stared.
“You’re supposed to get mad.”
“Why?”
“Family name.”
“It is a name.”
“What about Grandpa?”
“He will survive.”
Cedric did not appreciate that.
Then Maisie thought for months.
Eventually she kept Ricci.
Why?
“I don’t want stupid kids choosing it for me.”
Good.
Then the family company prepared a major public offering of one hotel subsidiary.
No special role for Maisie.
Good.
Then Portia was invited onto a non-family corporate board after years of clean professional work.
Background disclosed.
Board approved.
Some media criticized.
She served.
No financial trust role.
Reintegration.
Then she asked Maisie:
“Does my record embarrass you?”
Maisie answered:
“Sometimes.”
Portia nodded.
No demand for nicer answer.
Then:
“Does Dad’s slap embarrass you?”
“Sometimes.”
I heard about that later.
Fair.
No hero exemption.
Then Cedric’s reputation.
He wrote family memoirs.
First draft described Portia as “rebellious during the crisis.”
She crossed it out.
Wrote:
I promised her authority, changed my mind, and failed to tell her directly.
Cedric kept the edit.
Good.
Then he wrote about me:
Alonzo restored order.
I crossed that out.
Wrote:
Alonzo initially believed control was the same as protection and had to learn otherwise.
Cedric called us impossible.
Exactly.
Then Flora, now a regional hotel manager, invited Maisie to shadow her for a school project.
Maisie loved hospitality for four days.
Then decided people were annoying.
Veterinarian returned.
No family pipeline.
Then the original vase went on temporary museum exhibition.
Title:
PROVENANCE AND POWER: OBJECTS OF THE RICCI COLLECTION.
I hated the title.
Maisie loved it.
She gave one interview at fifteen with my permission.
The reporter asked:
“How did you feel when you learned the vase you broke was fake?”
Maisie answered:
“Relieved, but it shouldn’t matter. Nobody should slap a four-year-old over a real one either.”
Perfect.
Then:
“Do you forgive your aunt?”
Maisie thought.
“I have a relationship with her. That’s different from pretending it didn’t happen.”
Portia cried when she read that.
I did too.
May you like
Not because it was a happy ending.
Because my daughter understood boundaries better at fifteen than the rest of us had at forty.
